Letter-spacing mechanism for typewriters



Aug. 13, 1929. c. D. YOUNGBERG ET AL 1,724,060

LETTER SPACING MECHANISM FOR TYPEWRITERS Filed D6 19, 1,924 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1929. a D. YOUNGBERG ET AL 1,724,060

LETTER SPACING MECHANISM FOR TYFEWRITERS Filed Dec. 19, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 13, 1929.

l t'ltiEl CONRAD D. YOUNGBTERG- AND GEGRG-lll d". R'tl'hlDlZLJlll), O1 MTGOIDSTOGK, ILLIIFIUTS, AS-

SIG-ITORS TO "WOODSTOCK TYPEWRITER CQMYEEKANY,

CORPORATION OF TLLINOIES.

F 'WOODSTOCK, 111

LETTER-SPACING- MEGHANIS 5 EH13; TYPEWRITEHS.

Application filed December 19, 19524. Serial No. 756,881.

This invemfiion. relates to mechanism for effecting letter space movement of a type- Writer, and has for its object the provision of such mechanism which shall be of inrproved construction and operation and in which the operating mechanism is simple and direct effecting ease of operation and economy of construction.

The invention is exemplified in the comli)ination and arrangeuumt oi? parts shown in the accompanying drawings and de' ibed in the following specification, and it is more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a vertical section oi a typewriter showing one emhmjliment ,ot the n'esei'it invention; and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. l.

The invention is shown as applied to a power actuated llfoodstock typewriter, such as that illustrated in the a nqlication of Otto A. llokanson, Serial No. 732,615, filed August 18, 1924-, which litS matured into Patent No. 1,614,475, dated. J an. 18, 1927, but it will be understood. that the invention is applicable to typewriters other than that shown in the application referred to.

The numeral designates the supporting frame for a typewriter in which a. power roller 1.1 is joiu'naled and actuated by a motor, 12 mounted at one side of the itraine 10. Type bars 13 are pivoted at 141: ,on any suitable type bar segment and are operated by sub-levers 1.5 pivoted. at 16 on a crossbar 17. Actuators 18 are pivotally connected. at 19 to the sub-levers 1.5 and. are provided with teeth 20 in position to engage the teeth. on the power cylinder 11. Key levers 21 are provided with contact members 22 which en gage lugs on the actuators 18 to move them into operative connection with the drum 11. Stops 2a. are mounted on swinging arms 25 to release the teeth. 20 from the teeth on the power drive 11. The key levers 21 are provided with downwardly projecting; wedging members 26 which cooperate with rollers 27 to provide interlockinn mechanism which prevents depression of more than a single key lever at one time. A line lock lever 28 carries a shoe or wedging men'iber similar to those connected with the key levers and arranged to be moved between the rollers 27 so that when the line lock lever 28 is rotated in a cotimer-clockwise direction, as viewed in l ig. 1, the rollers 23? will infevent (lernression of any of the key lovers 21. The lever 28 is actuated hy a bar 29 having an L-shaped slot 30 in its :lorward end and having its rear end pivoted at Ell to a hell crank lever which is con.- nected, by a link 33 to a line lock lever 34-. A line lock release key 35 is provided for releasing the lever 28. The parts thus far described are more fully explained and claimed in application, Serial No. 732,615, referred to almve and in. Otto ll. llokanson application, tlerial No. *l'OlhZlQS, tiled April 28, 1924-. This mechanism forms a part of the pr "t invention only as it enters into combii'iation. with other features.

Tl'ie typewriter is provided with a crossbar 36 which slotted to'reeeive the key levers and which carries the interlocking rollers 2?. in :Front of the cross-ha]: 3G a rock shaft 3'? is pivotally mounted. and is provided with torimrdly projecting arms 38 which support a space bar 3!). Near the center of. the machine the rock shaft 3? is provided with an inwardly extending arm 40 which. is provided. with a link 41 pivoted. at [2 thereon. The link ell is pivoted at 43 at its rear end to a dog rocker alt-(l: which controls the estaipement wheel 41:5. lVhen. the space har 39 depressed the link 4:1 will draw the lower end of the dog rocker -i1-.-l forwardly, thus permitting; a one-step move- .inent ot the escapement wheel. This produces a letter space movement of the typewriter carriage in the usual well-known manner.

It will be seen. that the letter space operation does not require movement of any heavy parts, nor does it require that the parts strike a blow as in the case of the type keys. h lechanism is provided for acti'iating the type keys and other parts of the operatii'ig mechanism by the power driven cylinr ler 11, but since the letter spacing retpiires hut slight force this may he done directly by hand. witl'i approzriu'iately the same exertion as is required to control the power n1cchanism for operating the other parts of the typewriter. By placing the rock shaft 87 near the front of the machine, thus decreasing the length of the levers 38, the movement of the space bar 89 may be slight to accomplish the letter space action so that the movement of the letter space bar will correspond closely to the amount of movement of the type keys for controlling the power mechanism. It will be noted that the line lock mechanism while controlling the key levers does not lock the space bar so that it is possible to shift the platen for the letter space movement after the type keys are locked against operation.

We claim 1. In a typewriter, a plurality of key levers, a slotted guide bar or comb adjacent the front of said typewriter for guiding said key levers, line lock mechanism supported by said guide bar, a rock shaft journaled-in said typewriter in front of said guide bar, a space bar secured to said rock shaft, and means actuated by said rock shaft for effecting letter space movement.

2. In a typewriter, a power actuated drive, type bars, a single set of key levers, means separate from said key levers but controlled thereby for connecting said power actuated drive with said type bars, a rock shaft journaled in said typewriter in front of said power actuated drive, a letter space bar for actuating said rock shaft, and means actuated by said rock shaft independently of said power actuated drive for effecting letter space movement.

3. Typewriter mechanism comprising a frame, a continuously rotating power drive extending across the frame approximately midway between the front and rear thereof and adjacent the bottom of said frame, type bars, means co-operating with said power drive for actuating said type bars, key levers for controlling said actuating means posi- .type bars, key levers for tioned above the power drive, guiding means for said key levers disposed in front of said power drive and extending transversely of said frame, a rock shaft extending transversely of said frame in front of said guide, a rocker arm on said rock shaft positioned approximately midway of the ends thereof, a link pivotally connected to said rocker arm and extending rearwardly of the frame across said guide and power drive, means for connecting the rear end of said link to the escapement mechanism, and

means on the front of the frame in advance of the key levers for actuating said. link through said rock shaft.

4:. Typewriter mechanism comprising a frame, a toothed roller extending transversely of the frame approximately midway between the front and rear thereof and adjacent the bottom of said frame, a motor for driving said roller, type bars, means cooperating with said roller for actuating said controlling said actuating means extending above said roller, a guide for said key levers disposed in front of said roller and extending transversely of said. machine, a rock shaft extending transversely of said frame in front of said guide, an upwardly projecting arm on said rock shaft, a substantially horizontal link extending rearvardly from said upwardly projecting arm and supported by said arm above said guide and roller, the rear end of said link being connected with said escapement mechanism, a space bar disposed at the front of said frame, and means connecting said space bar with said rock shaft.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification on this 16th day of December, A. D. 1924.

CONRAD D. YOUNGBERG. GEORGE J. RUNDBLAD. 

